from the frame list:
i wrote -
ow?n - you're late to this thread, and those points are covered
in yesterday's posts. see the archives. my pov is that you get
your skill set working on the line, or in industry, or for other
buiders along the way - after which, you leave and begin to
distill the experience(s) and refine the work and style.
do you love to cook? most successful restaurants are
are run by chefs that have worked in many, many kitchens.

a listee then posted -
>That's a very valid comparison. So, as a wannabe
>framebuilder, if I travel from Scotland to the US
>or Australia, with serious intent, would any of you
>open your 'kitchens' to me? I plan to attend Doug Fattic's
>frame building course in April but how do I get exposure
>to other thoughts, techniques, skills and experience?
>England (or Scotland) doesn't have the wealth of frame-
>builders that it did in the 60's and 70's and the most
>fertile area for handmade bikes is the US (with apologies
>to Darrell). There has been talk of the benefits of working
>in a production line environment but I'm never going to be
>a Zagat top rated chef by working in Wendy's or MacDonalds.

my reply to that was:
we are not the kitchens. we are the guys that
left the kitchens we worked in! regardless,
our "kitchens" are open to you by dint of the
information sharing here and on neil's site.
if you're near chester, come for lunch!
e-RICHIE